Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Pictures?
Day 1 Monday Feb 13
After a long night's rest I awoke to sunshine, blue skies, palm trees and 67 degrees! Glorious!
Breakfast at the nearby Starbucks and then get transported to the cruise ship, though it wasn't that simple. My roomie was in charge of checking people in and taking money for the van ride and I sort of became the treasurer! One person who left on the first round left her carry on luggage behind and then we ended up with our instructor and his manager, which also included taking the sewing machine and getting them approved through customs. The local sheriff at the gate wouldn't let us through and we had to go way out of our way to go to the customs office which in reality was only a couple of blocks away.
Once at the pier, checking in was really no problem, particularly since it was past the crush of passengers. My roommate and I found lunch at the Windjammer buffet...lots of wonderful seafood! By then our stateroom was ready so we dumped our stuff (rest of luggage would be delivered later) and spent the next couple of hours wandering the ship until muster drill and sailing time. Found most of our group by the pool where we enjoyed the wonderful weather until dinner. Always lots of choices available at all meals but I had prime rib and then a chocolate dessert.
After dinner was more wandering and then our initial get together in our 'sewing room'. We are on the 5th deck and have windows so have lots of light and views of the ocean.
Just discovered I cannot add photos easily using my phone. Will have to go in and see if photos can be added more easily via emailing to the blog.
Breakfast at the nearby Starbucks and then get transported to the cruise ship, though it wasn't that simple. My roomie was in charge of checking people in and taking money for the van ride and I sort of became the treasurer! One person who left on the first round left her carry on luggage behind and then we ended up with our instructor and his manager, which also included taking the sewing machine and getting them approved through customs. The local sheriff at the gate wouldn't let us through and we had to go way out of our way to go to the customs office which in reality was only a couple of blocks away.
Once at the pier, checking in was really no problem, particularly since it was past the crush of passengers. My roommate and I found lunch at the Windjammer buffet...lots of wonderful seafood! By then our stateroom was ready so we dumped our stuff (rest of luggage would be delivered later) and spent the next couple of hours wandering the ship until muster drill and sailing time. Found most of our group by the pool where we enjoyed the wonderful weather until dinner. Always lots of choices available at all meals but I had prime rib and then a chocolate dessert.
After dinner was more wandering and then our initial get together in our 'sewing room'. We are on the 5th deck and have windows so have lots of light and views of the ocean.
Just discovered I cannot add photos easily using my phone. Will have to go in and see if photos can be added more easily via emailing to the blog.
Friday, February 10, 2017
Itinerary!
I'm leaving on Sunday, Feb 12, with an early morning flight out of Yakima to Seattle. This time of year is not the time to depend on being able to drive to SeaTac! Once I leave SeaTac it will be a non-stop to Florida. Once there I will find my roommate at the hotel and the adventure will really begin!
Day 1 (Feb 13) - Leave Fort Lauderdale at 4 pm - we actually will be heading to the ship about 10 am and join the lines to get on. Will go through TSA screening though last time it was pretty quick. Then, on to actually checking in so we can board the ship. Lunch, Mustering at our lifeboat location and then Bon Voyage!
Day 2 (Feb 14) - at sea
Day 3 (Feb 15) - at sea
Day 4 (Feb 16) - St. Johns, Antigua
Antigua boasts 365 white-sand beaches, world-class sailing and lush nature. Culture buffs can explore the colorful capital of St. John's or visit the former British imperial naval base of Nelson's Dockyard on the south coast.
Day 5 (Feb 17) - Castries, St. Lucia
From the twin peaks of the Pitons mountains to rainforest and palm-fringed beaches, St. Lucia astounds with dramatic unspoiled scenery. The capital of Castries is your gateway to outdoor fun, relaxation and exploring the unique culture.
Day 6 (Feb 18) - Bridgetown, Barbados
Musical and joyous, Barbados melds island warmth and English heritage. In Bridgetown, discover 400 years of history while outside of “Town” you can explore gorgegous beaches, dramatic Atlantic coast and hidden geological wonders.
Day 7 (Feb 19) - St. George's, Grenada
Grenada is an unspoiled island of sandy beaches, coral reefs, tropical rainforest, mountains and waterfalls, as well as fragrant spice plantations. St. George’s is considered the most scenic and friendliest capital in the West Indies.
Day 8 (Feb 20) - Kralendijk, Bonaire
Bonaire features some of the best diving and snorkeling in the Caribbean, thanks to thriving coral reefs and rich marine ecosystems protected by islanders. Tidy, colorful Kralendijk feels more like a seaside town than a capital city.
Day 9 (Feb 21) - Orangestad, Aruba
Oranjestad is a delight of historic sights, bustling promenades, and colorful Dutch-colonial architecture. Aruba is just 20 miles long, so island splendors and adventures like amazing snorkeling from the beach are within easy reach.
Day 10 (Feb 22) - at sea
Day 11 (Feb 23) - at sea
Day 12 (Feb 24) - arrive back at Fort Lauderdale bright and early! 7 am!
I will fly home on Saturday, Feb 25.
Time for another cruise!
I'm leaving in a couple of days to head to warm, sunny weather: the southern Caribbean! It will be particularly nice since we have had a winter that just won't stop! I'm leaving with several inches of hard, frozen snow on the ground, though the weather is warming so perhaps it will be gone when I get home in a couple of weeks?
I'm going on another quilting cruise, this time with Patrick Lose, who does machine appliqué. As with the other cruise, we will spend our 'at sea' days learning new techniques and making some great projects but will also be exploring the islands where we stop.
The Caribbean is so vast, over a million square miles, with 28 island nations and over 7,000 individual islands...and we will only be exploring 6 of them: Antigua, St. Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Bonaire and Aruba. And, being on a cruise, we will only be spending a few hours in each port, so we will really just get a taste of each island. I'll post the complete itinerary next.
Once again, the cruise is on Royal Caribbean. I think this is because they have large conference rooms for gatherings such as this. This time the ship is Seranade of the Seas, which is smaller than what I took to Alaska.
So, stay tuned! I'll try to post often!
I'm going on another quilting cruise, this time with Patrick Lose, who does machine appliqué. As with the other cruise, we will spend our 'at sea' days learning new techniques and making some great projects but will also be exploring the islands where we stop.
The Caribbean is so vast, over a million square miles, with 28 island nations and over 7,000 individual islands...and we will only be exploring 6 of them: Antigua, St. Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Bonaire and Aruba. And, being on a cruise, we will only be spending a few hours in each port, so we will really just get a taste of each island. I'll post the complete itinerary next.
Once again, the cruise is on Royal Caribbean. I think this is because they have large conference rooms for gatherings such as this. This time the ship is Seranade of the Seas, which is smaller than what I took to Alaska.
So, stay tuned! I'll try to post often!
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